By Sabrina S. Backer
PSBA President, Franklin Area School District
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, it is essential to consider and be mindful of the great impacts and the foundational role that public education has had on growing and shaping our nation.
Our founding fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, saw education as essential for a self-governing republic, viewed as a mechanism to create informed citizens capable of understanding the civic duties of a new nation and the need for participation in democratic decision-making. Public education was viewed on such a pedestal that early state constitutions required public support for education as a matter of public good, not private benefit. As true as it was then, today, more than ever, a functioning democracy requires educated citizens.
Through our history, public schools have both stood the test of time and helped build this country, expanding opportunities and economic mobility. Universal education allowed the U.S. to build the most literate workforce in the world by the late 1800s. Public education fueled the Industrial Revolution, scientific innovation and social mobility. The “High School Movement” (1910–1940) dramatically expanded secondary education, giving the U.S. one of the world’s first mass-educated workforces and, ultimately, public education became the single most important driver of upward mobility for working-class families.
In the Mid-20th Century, schools became a tool for equal opportunity. Landmark cases and legislation such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965) framed education as a civil right as public schools became central to national efforts to reduce poverty, dismantle segregation and expand access for historically marginalized groups. Special education rights (IDEA, 1975) and federal protections transformed public schools into inclusive institutions serving all children. Public education is the primary institution through which the U.S. delivers on its promise of equality.
Public schools are often the identity of their community. Across the United States, there is great pride in school-centered sports, tradition and mascots, which creates a common civic identity. Schools helped integrate waves of immigrants and build a shared identity around American institutions, values and participation. Public schools have provided a space where children from diverse backgrounds learned common civic principles. Public schools epitomize the melting pot that is the United States. As some push against the betterment of public education, they are discrediting the impact communities gain from their young people being involved in their public schools. No matter where you live in America, it is a constant that strong schools mean strong communities.
As we have grown into the modern era, schools have continuously adapted to new economic and social demands through technological literacy, career and technical education, STEM, and computer science expansion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts rose to the occasion and demonstrated how essential public education is for learning, childcare and community functioning.
As we face today’s challenges and beyond, school districts across our commonwealth will time and time again rise to the challenges of the world. No matter the time in our 250-year history, public education has and will continue to evolve to meet the needs of each generation.
For more than 250 years, school districts have provided public education as a cornerstone of American life. It is the institution that nurtures our democracy, builds our civic identity, expands opportunity and binds communities together. No other public system reaches so many people or plays a more defining role in shaping the nation’s future.
During this year of celebration, take time to reflect upon the generations of teachers, school directors, administrators and many other roles which have shaped our nation through public education.
